Going further on the same lines: What does a Green Shield (under-16) match equivalent to? The walk with your first girl friend in the park, holding hands.

Copying Football with the Champions League is good and each county should have one proper national competition that builds history and tradition and means something. At international level, competitions that feature only 2 or 3 countries are just as meaningless as the ‘trophies’ on offer. Get them all together every year or two for a proper contest. If T20 is the future then at least make it more interesting and meaningful. Otherwise they’re just exhibition games.

My club coach used to refer to a young ‘keeper who had a similar problem a few years ago as “Cymbals”….

“As an urgent action, it was agreed to send wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed to Australia before the third Test to reinforce the wicketkeeping department. The tour selection committee has been informed accordingly. As a result, Sarfraz Ahmed will be participating in [the] third Test scheduled at Hobart.”

http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/AJC-Members.html

http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/AJC%20Reciprocal%20Rights%20for%202010%20Cricket%20Season1.pdf

I just joined the AJC last month (get the official nod in a couple of weeks) – how does that work at the SCG? You can go for a year? Then what? No more?

Or does it get you priority in joining the SCG? Please advise!

Best, HvS.

I recall Geoff Boycott using the analogy of all the forms of cricket – being the longer the form of the game, the more likely it is that the better team with the better skills will win. A test match is the ultimate sporting contest in the world. In t20, you can get the Netherlands beating England, Zimbabwe beating Aus, but there is no where to hide in Test Cricket. Long may it live!

there aren’t many games of the short form that stick in the memory like truly great test matches. they just dont capture the public like gruelling 5 test series do.

Reagining the ashes leads news bulletins when it happens. Beating England in a one-day tournament would always have to wait for the sports section.

However the younger generation (including some direct descendants) fail to grasp the magnificence of his innings there
– so why would they give a hoot about the History of Test Cricket.

All this is pretty natural – time just moves on.

It’s possibly the ultimate sporting contest on the planet…

That is the test. Twenty twenty may be a lot of fun, but it is not my idea of serious cricket.

I was fortunate enough to date a girl some years back who is a member at the SCG and who gave me her Guests Card (and the subsequent renewal!) and so I always get along to a couple of days. I enjoy beer from a glass, and being addressed as ‘Sir’ rather than ‘next’ at the bar.

Had i not been so fortunate, however, I would no more attend SCG fixtures than support Manly. You can’t get a proper beer, you can’t look anywhere without seeing security guards and if you so much as fart, you get frog-marched.

I don’t consider myself a complete yobbo but fair dinks, the fun-sheriffs have just rooted it. It’s simply no fun in general admission anymore.